New state of emergency threatens to restrict political liberties

Constitutionalist attorney José Vicente Haro warned that the new decree on state of economic emergency signed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expands the restriction of constitutional rights and liberties to the political sphere

In the opinion of the constitutionalist attorney, “suspension of guarantees” does not exist in the Venezuelan Constitution

José Vicente Haro, a constitutionalist attorney and professor of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) warned that a decree on state of economic emergency signed last Friday by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will result in constrained political liberties.

“This decree is stretching out to ambits beyond the economic field, the political ambit, the ambit of what the president has termed as ‘foreign threats,” coup attempts, public order matters, which could put the Venezuelan State in jeopardy,” the lawyer told El Universal.

He added that the new legal instrument –that expired last Wednesday- could be extended only once. In view of it, “the president has opted to take another way, the way of a new decree, which is much ampler than the previous one.”

“What the president would be doing, to begin with, is restricting guarantees (…) that have to do with internal order, exercise of civilian and political rights,” said the professor of Constitutional Law.

Furthermore, the lawyer insisted on saying that the document should be endorsed by both the National Assembly (AN) and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ). “The decree does not enter into full force and effect until the approval of the AN and the TSJ, as laid down in the Constitution,” he emphasized.